Orchard owners try to make up losses caused by rainy weekends, lack of tourists

Pennings Orchard in Warwick seems to be in a "drying out" mode nowadays.

Ben Nandy

Nov 1, 2023, 10:33 PM

Updated 400 days ago

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How about these apples? There are literally tons of them still on the trees at various Hudson Valley orchards that have been caught in a string of rainy weekends since Labor Day that has kept tourists away.
Pennings Orchard in Warwick seems to be in a "drying out" mode nowadays.
"See how slippery it is from all the rain?" Jack Pennings said during a tour of the farm Wednesday in his truck.
Pennings, a fifth-generation apple farmer, runs the orchard just off Route 94 with his wife Monica. The Pennings walked by plots that are usually picked clean by this point in the season but are completely full.
The rains that brought on the tourism drought will not continue their streak this coming weekend, News 12 meteorologists say. Conditions for apple picking should be clear.
To make up for some of impact from a string of lost weekends, the Pennings recently offered nighttime picking hours and are planning a holiday promotion in hopes of moving apples in larger quantities.
"You can come pack a box of apples for your family, and send it to them for Christmas or the holidays," Pennings says.
The orchard will likely donate a large number of apples at the end of the season, which is about two weeks away.